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The Second Weyr
"The Second Weyr" is a short story that appears in the anthology The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall. Plot Summary Nine years after the events of The Ford of Red Hanrahan - during which time Zi Ongola established Tillek Hold and Tarvi Telgar established Telgar Hold - Fort Weyr has become overcrowded; which has led to wings being temporarily housed in caverns at Telgar, and queens being sent to mate and clutch at Big Island - following a recent accident where three queens rose to mate at once and crippled one another before they could be separated. Torene Ostrovsky - Fort Weyr's youngest queenrider, who has the unique ability to hear all dragons - and a number of young riders - who have begun abbreviating their names; as their dragons often slur them during Threadfall - become interested in a crater on the east coast of the Northern Continent - touted as the next official Weyr site - and begin surveying it repeatedly. Torene meets with Sorka Hanrahan, and argues her case for establishing a Weyr at the crater, also noting that the inhabitants of Ierne Island are planning to abandon their stakes - which will allow the grubs designed by Ted Tubberman to spread across the Southern Continent and make the vegetation less vulnerable to Thread - and come north, and they will likely claim the site and force the dragonriders to use the less ideal site nearby. Sean Connell joins them, agreeing with Torene, and revealing he has convinced the Ierne Island inhabitants to shift to the secondary site. Later, Sean reveals to Sorka that he plans to establish an additional three Weyrs; one on the east coast, one on Big Island - where some inhabitants of Ierne Island are planning to settle and expand the present site - and one near Telgar Hold - also noting that they might later extend to six Weyrs; with suitable sites on a mid-eastern peninsula and in the high ranges - and that he has been meeting with the inhabitants of Ierne Island; arranging for them to aid in the construction of the new Weyrs. During dinner, Torene meets with several of her "bunch", but doesn't mention the meeting with the Weyrleaders, and feigns surprise when F'mar, a bronze rider, tells her what he suspects they are up to. The next day, following a particularly nasty Fall - during which Torene and her dragon Alaranth aids in rescuing an injured dragon; blue Siwith - Sean disciplines the Weyr for careless actions that led to injuries, before formally announcing the plan to establish new Weyrs, and organises a ballot to determine which queenriders and wings will go to which of the Weyrs. Torene ends up being sent to the east coast Weyr - F'mar isn't; instead being sent to Telgar Hold, and arrogantly remarks he would have liked to have her as his Weyrwoman - and realises that Alaranth is due to rise for her first mating flight; meaning she will be Senior Weyrwoman - something the other queenriders reveal they prefer over having the position themselves. Sean gets the riders to meet in their groups, and David Catarel announces to the east coast riders the implementation of a "tithe" system; where their Weyr will be supplied by the holders they protect. As they go over the plans of the Weyr - Torene's parents are miners, making it easy for her to get such things - and discuss their next step, they decide - prompted by riders heading for Telgar Hold dubbing their destination "Telgar Weyr" - to name their Weyr after the late Admiral Paul Benden. During this time, Mihall - the eldest son of Sean and Sorka - ends up talking with Torene about Alaranth's upcoming flight; and wondering if Alaranth has expressed interest in Brianth - he intends to become Weyrleader sooner or later, and notes the dragons ultimately decide. Torene - who hasn't preference for any bronze rider - realises she has been avoiding his company. She eventually offers to get additional plans from her parents at Telgar Hold. The following day, Torene travels to Benden Weyr after having breakfast with her parents, and finds that Mihall and Brianth are already there. The other dragonriders soon arrive, and an intense period of activity follows as the Weyr is constructed; including dragons aiding in excavating a tunnel leading out of the Weyr, and aid arriving from the former inhabitants of Ierne Island - who dub their site Benden Hold. Some time after a Hatching at Fort Weyr - where most of the hatchlings are scheduled to go to Benden Weyr, and the next clutch to Telgar Weyr - Alaranth rises to mate, and is caught by Brianth - using a thermal current to quickly gain height - thus making Torene and Mihall the Weyrleaders of Benden Weyr. In the aftermath of the mating flight, Mihall reveals he wanted Torene ever since the day she Impressed, but was forced to stay away from her - Sean warned him away from queenriders to prevent inbreeding after Brianth fathered a number of clutches - and Torene realises all she heard about him was wrong. One of their dragons remarks "we both have what we wanted", but Torene is never sure which one spoke, or to who. Appearances Notes : ru:Хроники Перна: Первое Падение Second Weyr Second Weyr